


coming out even

by pennyofthewild



Category: Free!
Genre: Gen, M/M, Prompt Fic, little kids running around in gym class
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 15:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3494165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennyofthewild/pseuds/pennyofthewild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They're not keeping count, anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	coming out even

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Legendaerie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legendaerie/gifts).



> happy birthday, Saro, dear!!! 
> 
> i'm sorry this barely bears only passing resemblance to the original prompt (which was "pls chill out it's only p.e. it's not the olympics it's just p.e. chill', i think?), but i hope you like it, anyway?
> 
> i hope you have a wonderful, wonderful birthday; stay blessed, always. <3

“Do you,” Rin begins, after lunchtime one lazy summer afternoon, when he is too full to move and has given in to the temptation not to (move, that is. not that he is alone; Haruka is no better, lying collapsed by the low table in the middle of the sitting room – and he hasn’t even bugged Rin to clear the dishes, yet), “remember that one time in gym class – ”

Haruka groans, shifts his arm to cover his face. “Do you _never_ stop talking?”

“Ah, you’ve come so far, Haru-chan,” Rin says with exaggerated flair, “you used to be so much better at ignoring me.”

(Much, much better. He’s given up since, or Rin’s worn clean through his defenses. Either way, this is one battle Rin’s come out on top.)

 

***

 

The problem with Nanase, Rin thinks, is that he has no idea of the effect he has on other people. No self-awareness at all. He passes through life like a patch of seaweed floating on a current, uncaring of toes, or ankles, or that it’s become a miniature ecosystem, attracting all kinds of (interesting, interested!) characters –

Yelling at seaweed is totally pointless. The seaweed can’t hear yelling. It won’t slow down, or turn around, or even pretend to listen. It doesn’t matter how colorful or rare the yeller is; the seaweed will just keep on floating.

Actually – seaweed mightn’t be the _best_ comparison, because Nanase _does_ sometimes deign to reply, with something ridiculous and inane like, _the water is alive_ , like he is the head priest of some kind of strange cult. In moments like that – when he is waxing philosophical about his own weird religious? philosophy, Rin thinks he rather resembles the caterpillar from the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland. They – the caterpillar and Nanase – are both blue (well, Nanase’s eyes are. A very pretty blue, like the ocean in summer time, like wellwater reflecting the sky, like – wait – ), and if Nanase was older he’d probably look very appropriate puffing on a hookah, blowing smoke rings.

Rin is pretty sure, however, that Alice did not think about the caterpillar as much as Rin thinks about Nanase, who seems to have taken up permanent residence in Rin’s brain. He’d moved in the day Rin saw him swimming freestyle at that one swim meet, bringing a whole lot of luggage with him (dark, silky hair, delicate nose – is it _legal_ for boys to be that pretty). The problem is, Rin doesn’t remember issuing him an invitation.

Lining up for gym class, Rin finds himself standing next to Tachibana. Nanase is on Tachibana’s other side – and Rin is hyperaware of him, of course, despite the separator (Tachibana) between them. Nanase is staring at his feet – pristine white gym shoes, socks pulled up past his ankles – disinterestedly, as if he isn’t really _seeing_ anything. That is a typical look for Nanase. Rin is pretty sure he _can’t_ see anything _but_ water, as if his retinas aren’t programmed to notice anything else.

He certainly doesn’t see Rin.

The gym teacher, Amane-sensei, has set up an obstacle course today: a series of jumps, ropes, ladders. It reminds Rin a little of the parkour videos he and Sousuke watched over the internet one summer afternoon they’d been bored and had nothing to do.

“You’re going to do this in pairs,” Amane-sensei begins, and the class immediately dissolves into chaos as kids squabble over who they’re going to be paired up with. The teacher claps her hands to get the class’s attention. “That’s _enough_ ,” she says, “ _I’m_ pairing you up,” and, with a chorus of groans, the class settles down, again.

 Rin glances at Nanase out of the corner of his eye, crosses his fingers in his shorts pockets.

“Once I’ve paired you up, you and your partner are going to race to the finish. I’m going to time you,” and she holds up a stopwatch and a pair of what look like movie tickets, “and the winning pair will get these, okay? Do your best!” She shushes the wave of muttering that erupts in the wake of this announcement, and begins calling out names.

“Asato-kun, you’re with Yazaki-san. Mizuki-kun – and Tachibana-kun. Date-san with Fujimoto-san. Matsuoka-kun,” Rin bites the inside of his cheek, “and Nanase-kun,” the rest of the class list fades into background noise as Rin tries to keep from jumping up and down in place. He can’t quite keep from grinning in Nanase’s direction, however – grinning wide and saying (excitably; he winces at his voice, which has gone high-pitched, like a chipmunk’s), “say, we’re gonna win this, aren’t we, Nanase?”

Because Nanase is Nanase – i.e. a very pretty patch of seaweed (or an attractive blue caterpillar) – he glances at Rin, gaze perfectly blank, and very deliberately looks away.

“I hope winning those tickets doesn’t mean much to you, Matsuoka,” Tachibana says, managing to look amused and sympathetic all at once.

Rin sighs.

Fifteen minutes later, when it is their turn to go through the obstacle course, Rin tries again – pokes Nanase’s shoulder, says, “let’s do our best, huh, Nanase?”

He thinks he might have seen Nanase’s back stiffen, but at least Nanase doesn’t move away, like he would’ve if Rin had touched him at the beginning of term. He’s had two months of spending time in close proximity with Rin (through Rin’s efforts, no choice of his own) – enough, apparently, to get used to Rin’s touchy-feely-ness. He isn’t going to reply – that’s for sure –

But then – Nanase turns, and tilts his head, so that he is looking Rin in the eye. He looks very, very serious, and a little scary, if Rin is honest.

“I’m going to beat you,” he says, voice very even.

Rin gapes.

Amane-sensei counts down – three, two, one – and starts the stopwatch, calling, “go!”

Nanase is several steps ahead of Rin by the time Rin gathers his wits and starts running.

“It’s supposed to be a _team race_!” he shouts, breathless, but Nanase, who is already climbing the first rope, does not hear him –

 – or pretends he does not, at least.

 

***

 

“You liked to pretend you didn’t care,” Rin mumbles, sleepily, tongue slurring the words.

The tatami mat is scratchy under Rin’s back where his shirt has ridden up, to expose (bare, sensitive) skin. The whir of the fan fills the room as it swivels, to and fro, periodically sending a gust of (cool) air in their direction. He can feel the solid warmth of Haruka’s abdomen under his head – hard flat planes, the jut of his hipbone, curving around Rin’s temple.

Late afternoon sunlight falls, hot, heavy, through the shoji panels, lying in thick stripes across the floor.

“It’s too hot for you to lie on me,” Haruka had complained – but it had been a lackluster, halfhearted sort of complaint, and he hadn’t made any move to push Rin off –

Haruka’s fingers trace idle circles on Rin’s stomach –  with barely any pressure at all, but the touch still raises goosebumps across Rin’s skin. He hasn’t spoken for a while, and Rin is beginning to wonder if he’s fallen asleep – and that the movement of his fingers is unconscious. He could crane his head, to look, but he is awfully comfortable the way he is, now, and doesn’t much feel like moving.

“Who says I was pretending?” Haruka says, finally, sounding as tired as Rin feels. “You were the one had to be sent to the nurse because you fell over and skinned your knee.”

“Ha,” Rin says, “ha, ha, ha. I wasn’t the one turned it into a competition.”

There is another long moment of silence. Rin thinks – _he’s definitely fallen asleep this time_. He can feel his own eyelids drooping, the yawn caught in the back of his throat.

“If not me, then you,” Haruka says as Rin is dropping off to sleep, “winner takes all, Rin, remember?”

(Who’s counting anymore, though? As far as Rin’s concerned, they’ve come out even.)

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

end.

 

 


End file.
